


Different Kind of Pain

by Anonymous



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Conversations, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, M/M, Working through feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-26 14:53:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18719305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Malex - Series of conversations that will eventually get somewhere.





	1. Needed you to know

**Author's Note:**

> For this Max did not die and Rosa was not resurrected but happens after Noah. -- will update tags as I go.

Liz came in a little late to help out at the Crashdown and she notices Alex sitting in a booth glancing at his phone. She hasn’t talked to him in a while or even seen him, suspecting it has something to do with Maria and her focus on the backlash of Noah. But she misses him, she sighs as she approaches and sits across from him in the booth. 

Alex looks up from his phone with a small smile. Liz smiles at him, “Now who's being a crappy friend? You ever gonna talk to Maria again?” she says as he did a few months ago. 

Alex chuckles... “Wow, I'm the crappy friend? She hasn't tried contacting me and I sure as hell am not going to seek her out. She lied to me and threw away our friendship like it meant nothing.” 

Liz tries again, “Look I know you cared for Michael but we can't help who we fall for.” 

Alex shakes his head, “Let me stop you there. I get that but you are wrong. I don't just care for Michael; I love him and have since I was 17. He is my family; I know you don't know any of this. Guess I was a crappy friend, I never let you or Maria all the way in that neither of you even know what I have been through the last 10 years. I can see how you would take Maria's side too and that's ok.... Everything's that happened a few weeks ago just made me realize I fucked up and I really don't have anyone anymore. You don't know all that Michael and I have been through or the ways I have messed up, how he messed up. I love him and he loves me too, he described us best, our cosmic connection.... So just don't try to defend Maria to me, tell me I'm the crappy friend or whatever else you feel like lecturing me about. I just lost my whole world and just as I always thought what I want doesn't matter.” 

Liz is speechless as Alex gets up, “Sorry Liz, you don’t deserve my ranting but that’s the first time I said any of that out loud.” He shakes his head again and walks away. 

“Wow Liz you really know how to clear a room...” Kyle says as he slides in the booth. She hadn't even noticed when he came in. 

“Shut up Kyle, I still don't know what the fuck just happened?” 

“Well you said the wrong thing at the wrong time.... Alex is hurting and won't let anyone in. Believe me I tried.” Kyle says sadly. 

“I mean I knew about a kiss in high school, guess I just thought it ended a long time ago. Alex was gone for ten years like me. Maria said Michael told her it has been over between them.” 

Kyle has to smile at that, “Of course he did, he can be an asshole but if he told her... ‘Hey I want to get with you but I will always be in love with Alex...’ That would have ended so well for him.” 

“Yeah no shit. Now I feel bad, I did the same as Maria. I invalidated his feelings and encouraged her to go for it.” Liz looks down, trying to process this mess between her best friends. 

Kyle grabs her hand, “Look I get it. I was a total dick to Alex in high school when we used to be best friends as kids and he forgave me and we are working on being friends again. I figured out his and Michael's connection really quickly, just curious how his two best friends couldn't see it?” 

Liz looks up at him, “I am beginning to wonder that myself. I honestly don’t know.” 

“My guess is you guys have never actually seen them together or didn't pay attention when they were because it is clear as day when they are.... Just the looks alone. Not to mention, you had to have noticed at the hospital with Isobel, how much Michael hates me when I never did anything to him personally, it's all because of how I treated Alex years ago and he is jealous when I spend time with Alex now.” 

Liz looks at him confused, “Really?” 

Kyle nods, “Yes really, that doesn't just end overnight. But they are both kind of broken maybe they will be on the same page again one day. It is also how I know Michael's thing with Maria isn't going to last.” 

“I shouldn't have said anything just stayed out of it. What a mess. Maria will end up hurt too but Alex sounded like he gives up.” 

Kyle agrees, “He has for today but won't last long. As I said they are connected if you ever see them together you will see it. You also have to see what Maria did wasn't right either, sure we can't help who we fall for but look at it a different way. What if it was Max she fell for? What would you say then?” 

Liz shakes her head. “She wouldn't do that to me.” 

“Exactly... So why doesn't Alex get the same respect or conversation at least?” 

“Yes, he does deserve that. You were horrible to him and he forgave you enough to open up to you. So, I am sure he will forgive us too.” 

“You, yes I don’t think he is even mad at you, not really. But what I did and what Maria did are different kinds of pains so I don't know about her. No matter how you look at it going after someone your best friend is in love with after knowing about it like she did is just messed up. But he didn't open up to me, I saw it with my own eyes, you can feel it when they are together. You know Alex, he doesn’t tell anyone anything. Sorry my orders ready, time to get back to work.” He squeezes her hand before he leaves.


	2. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz and maria have a conversation

Liz wanders into the Wild Pony to talk to Maria the next day after talking to Alex and Kyle, she hasn’t spoken to her in a few days. “So, I talked to Alex yesterday, well I didn’t really, he did though.” 

Maria looks at her curious, “And?” Maria can feel the apprehension coming off Liz, so she isn’t sure she wants to know, she guesses was about her. 

Liz runs a hand through her hair, “It didn’t last long, the short version I tried to joke about him being a crappy friend, would he speak to you again….” 

Maria cringes, “Oh no Liz, you didn’t.” 

Liz nods her head, “Oh I sure did, then he just went off, and then agreed he was a crappy friend because he never let us all the way in but called me out too… then apologized and left. He looked so sad, and while I was still processing what he said, Kyle slides in and gives me his opinion too. And I just did not know how things with Alex and Michael really were.” 

Maria lost in thought, “Me either, you know I can’t really read Michael at all, that was part of the appeal you know and not wanting lingering what ifs. So, I gather he thinks we are actually together right now?” She grabs a couple of glasses and a bottle of whiskey, “Think we need a drink.” 

Liz agrees. “He probably does, from what Kyle said he shut everyone out. He should probably hear that from you or Michael though if you aren’t. I also didn’t realize you weren’t together anymore, when did that happen? I totally underestimated the situation with Alex.” 

Maria pours them both a shot, “True, so did I. What is with Kyle anyway? He came in here a few days ago and tore Michael a new one while glaring at me. I heard some strange things and some I was unaware of.” 

Liz hoping it was not alien in nature, but Kyle wouldn’t do that would he. “I think he is trying to make amends with Alex for how he treated him and be his friend again. What did he say?” 

Maria slams her shot, “Well he came in while I was kissing Michael, pretty much told Michael he was a dick. Looked at me, said how could you, Alex is your best friend. Then went off on Michael told him some things about Alex he didn’t think he knew. Made me think I don’t know much about what Alex is going through, it is more than being in love with Michael.” 

“What do you mean, what did he say?” Liz takes her shot and gestures for Maria to pour more. 

“I didn’t catch all of it, but there was a lot about Alex’s dad. Let’s see…” Maria tries to think of what she heard, “first, something about how Alex stood up to his dad, knocked him out with his crutch and tied him to a chair, got him to leave town, trying to shut down his project. Then seems the three of them were somewhere, things happened there, didn’t go into detail about that but Michael seemed to know what he was getting at. Bottom line, he implied a lot of what Alex has done, he has done for Michael, as much as he did it for himself. Oh craziest part… how Jesse had tried to kill him after he found out he was the reason for what happened to his dad then shot him right in the chest, luckily, he was wearing a bullet proof vest but he didn’t blame Alex for what his dad has done, so why is he. He isn’t his dad. Shouldn't you try to face those demons together instead of try to ignore them with someone else? They aren't going to just go away.” 

“Wow, I feel like I haven’t been paying attention. I have been so caught up in things going on in my life, lost touch with both you and Alex. I really need to talk to Kyle too; I didn’t hear anything about him being shot.” Liz hangs her head down. 

“Me too, no words about what happened to Kyle, but if Kyle hadn’t come in, I would probably still be with Michael oblivious to it all. We needed to talk anyway because I was putting it off, living in the moment because I felt I needed to give it a shot you know. I thought most of the feelings were on Alex’s side since Michael was the one coming to me. In the end, I would have been at most a rebound. I deserve more than that. Anyway, got me to think and actually ask about what kind of future Michael was looking towards.” Maria sighs. 

Liz grabs her hand, “You do deserve more than that but Michael doesn’t seem the type to use people for rebounds. I think he cares about you.” 

Maria shakes her head back and forth. “He wasn't and that’s just what I boiled it down to. He said he was looking for something simpler, less hurtful, easy almost. He said he cared about me but he wasn’t looking for anything serious because he can’t give that right now. I asked about Alex, he said he would always love Alex but he couldn’t be with him, it was over and has been over. Since I didn’t think he actually loved Alex, that alone just changed things for me. I mean I risked my friendship with Alex over this, it just seemed over or I wanted to believe it was. But I don’t want to be someone’s easy choice trying to forget someone else, I am not getting any younger and I want something that will be moving towards the future. In the end, I feel shitty then Michael and I decided to try to be friends. Not sure where to go from here, everything is going to be awkward.” 

“Glad you decided that route instead of dragging it out, any longer you both would have just ended up more hurt. I am thinking Michael doesn’t know how relationships work though, no such thing as an easy relationship; someone always gets hurt in the end if it doesn’t work out and they all take work. I am a runner myself,” Liz chuckles a little thinking of her past relationships. “One thing Kyle mentioned was interesting, he wondered why we never noticed what was between Alex and Michael, Alex never told him anything, that we must have never seen them actually together, that it would be clear as day.” Liz explains. 

“That may be true; I was truly shocked Guerin was Alex’s museum guy. It seems like we would have seen them together, I kind of what to really see that now.” Maria says with a small smile. 

“Me too but good luck getting them together, I asked Max last night if he knew about Alex and Michael. He said _yeah, since prom_ , I just shook my head and didn’t want to know more.” Liz laughs, “feeling more oblivious.” 

Maria chuckles, “Really, well damn. Especially since Max only had eyes for you back then, today even. I need to talk to Alex first and see if I can salvage anything with him.” 

“I am sure you will, it will just take time. Funny though, Kyle asked what if it was Max that you started having feelings for, what would you do or something like that. I couldn’t even imagine it really, and then he said maybe that was how Alex saw it too so it hurt. But I do believe you and Alex will be friends again.” Liz says with a half-smile. 

Maria looks taken aback because she didn’t need to feel any worse, she chooses to ignore the Max comment. “I hope so, but we also need to find a way to see them together. Feels like we need to, you know?” 

“It does, we will find a way.... So that I am not being a crappy friend anymore, fill me in on your Mom and anything else I might have missed before I have to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I am a slow writer but promise this is going somewhere.


End file.
